Slide notes:The ICU is a separate area of the hospital for treatment and continuous monitoring of very ill patients. Many kinds of illnesses may need ICU care, including lung conditions such as pneumonia and emphysema; sepsis, or blood infection; and traumatic injuries. As mentioned earlier, CCUs are ICUs dedicated to patients with cardiac, or heart, disease. Patients may come to the ICU from another section of the hospital, such as the ED or the OR, or they may arrive after transfer from a different hospital. Machines in the ICU monitor the patients vital signs, such as breathing and heart rate. Various tubes may be inserted to give medicine, provide nutrition, or drain urine, and mechanical ventilators may be used to help with breathing. The need for other sophisticated equipment depends on the patients condition. 16